Tuesday, March 13, 2012

U.S. Soldiers are human beings too, Obama must demand full accountability from Karzai for soldiers' deaths

In the wake of the Koran burnings in Afghanistan last month, two U.S. soldiers were killed in a shooting attack by an Afghan soldier [and an Afghan literacy teacher]. Another two soldiers were gunned down by an Afghan intelligence officer. [Six U.S. soldiers were ultimately killed in the wake of the Koran burnings.] The attacks were horrifying, and no less tragic than the killing of 16 Afghan civilians at the hands of a U.S. soldier on Sunday. And while the victims of the latter attack included women and children, the families of the U.S. soldiers - who are also victims - includes women and children too, as well as parents, siblings and offspring. Bottom line, innocent lives were brutally snuffed out, and their families were left bereft.

Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, condemned the killing spree that left 16 Afghans dead, called it an "assassination", “intentional" murders, "unforgivable" and furiously demanded an explanation from Washington.

President Obama called Mr. Karzai and promised a full investigation and “to hold fully accountable anyone responsible.”

But what about the murdered soldiers? Why the double standard?

President Obama should make it clear to Mr. Karzai that, while the fatal shooting of Afghan civilians is tragic, the deaths of U.S. soldiers at the hands of Afghan officials is equally tragic.

'Outrage' is a two-way street. Investigations are also two-way streets.

U.S. Soldiers, like Afghan civilians, are human too, and we deserve a thorough investigation into their deaths; even if Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are disinclined to treat the soldiers' deaths with the same gravity and solemness as the Afghan victims' deaths, they must overcome their left-wing tendencies and demand full accountability.

The family of Corporal Timothy Conrad, who was killed at the hands of the Afghan soldier during the Koran riots, released the following YouTube tribute in his memory. Perhaps President Obama can send this video to Mr. Karzai while apologizing to the Afghan President for Mr. Conrad's death.....

Presentation of the American flag to the widow and mother of Sgt. Joshua Born, who was also brutally gunned down during the Koran riots.

OBAMA: 'END-OF-LIFE CARE' TOO COSTLY!

"I actually think that the tougher issue around medical care... is what you do around things like end-of-life care.... I mean, the chronically ill and those toward the end of their lives are accounting for potentially 80 percent of the total health care bill out here!"Barack Obama in an interivew with the New York Times - April 2009